


Come and Trim My Christmas Tree

by ChelseaIBelieve



Series: Unsolicited Advice (12 Days of Hockeymas) [7]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, Surprises, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 21:06:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2826089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelseaIBelieve/pseuds/ChelseaIBelieve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not that the advice was bad (well, except maybe the whole naked-under-the-tree part). It's just that when people say they aren't going to do something and then they do, things can get a little messy. Maybe the naked-under-the-tree part was actually the better half of the suggestion.</p><p>Can be read as part of the series or as a stand-alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come and Trim My Christmas Tree

_Here’s what you’re going to do, alright? Go buy a ticket to Pittsburgh for after your game in Boston next week. You’ll beat Paulie home from Tampa and then you surprise him when he gets home._

**Kaner, I really don’t need your help.**

_But you haven’t heard the best part. Ask me how you surprise him._

**Oh god, fine. How do I surprise him?**

_Naked under the Christmas tree, with just a red bow on._

**Please never text me again.**

_I bet he’d love it._

**I’m not doing that. He’s coming here the next day anyways and I’ll be greeting him fully dressed, thanks.**

_Ugh, fine._

* * *

_How is my favorite Team USA defenseman doing?_

I’m fine. I don’t have the mumps yet, at least, which should not be a thing I’d be particularly excited about, and yet… What’s up?

_You need to fly straight to Nashville after your game in Tampa. I think you could beat Nealer there and then you could surprise him._

I’m already flying in on Wednesday night to spend Christmas together. Why would I fly in a day early for no reason?

_Because! You need to surprise him naked under the Christmas tree, with just a red bow on._

Yeah, I’m going to go ahead and not and also I’m going to pretend this entire conversation did not happen.

_Why doesn’t anyone want to listen to me?_

* * *

James shifted from foot to foot nervously as he slid his key into the lock of Paulie’s darkened house. He was glad that he’d managed to beat Paulie home, but berated himself a little for actually listening to Kaner.

Well, listening to part of his suggestion, that is. Certainly not the whole thing because he had some decency.

After rustling around in the fridge and failing to find any good beer, he grabbed one of Paulie’s beers and settled into the couch to turn on the TV, putting on the NHL Network to watch highlights as he waited for Paulie to get back.

At some point after his second beer, he managed to fall asleep, only to be woken up by the sound of his phone ringing. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Paulie.

“Hi, baby.” He answered the phone with a grin, glancing up at the clock and noticing with a shock how late it was.

“Where are you right now?” Paulie asked, sounding confused and skipping over a greeting of any sort.

“I’m at home. Why? What’s up?” He smiled to himself as he referred to Paulie’s as home.

“Oh, I thought maybe your plane was just delayed or something.” Paulie’s voice sounded weird and James sat up on the couch.

“Is everything okay?”

“Are you cheating on me?” Paulie demanded bluntly.

“What?! Paulie, of course not!” The accusation made his heart hurt and he stood up to pace while he defended himself.

“Don’t lie to me right now, James.”

“I’m not! I’m not currently cheating on you, nor have I ever, and I never will.”

“Fine. Tell me honestly, where are you?”

“I’m in the living room at home!”

“Really? Because I’m in the middle of your living room right now, and you are _not in it_.”

James was silent for a moment and he could feel Paulie’s anger through the phone. As the entire situation dawned on him, he started laughing.

“James Neal, what the fuck are you laughing at?” The sharpness of Paulie’s voice made him stop laughing long enough to speak again.

“Are you in Nashville right now?” He asked, still trying to suppress his laughter.

“Yes.” Paulie replied without humor.

“Baby, I’m in Pittsburgh. I’m at your place right now. I flew straight here after the game tonight to surprise you.”

“Really?” Paulie still sounded a little unsure.

“I even drank two of your shitty beers because apparently when I’m gone, you just stop stocking what I like. Here, hold on.” James pulled the phone away and snapped a picture of himself in front of the TV with his beer, pointing at the recap of the Pens game from that night as proof that it was a current picture. He sent it to Paulie and waited for a second as Paulie opened it up.

“Oh.” He could hear the smile in Paulie’s voice.

“Why did you go to my place a day early?”

“Well, why did you go to Pittsburgh at all?”

“Okay, this is going to sound stupid, but earlier this week, I got a text message from-”

“Patrick Kane?” Paulie interrupted.

“Yeah, how did you-? Is that why you’re at my place? Did he send you one, too?” James started to chuckle again, pushing aside the small amount of annoyance that he wasn’t going to get to see Paulie yet.

“Yup. Did he suggest that you be naked under the tree, too?”

“Of course.”

“You did still lie to me, though.”

“What?” James asked, his heart falling as Paulie’s voice got hard again.

“I asked you where you were and said don’t lie. You could’ve just told me then, you know.”

“I didn’t lie. I am at home in the living room. It’s not my fault you assumed I meant Nashville when I think of home.”

“Oh. Well, in that case, I’m going to hang up now and call a cab so I can fly home, then. Change of plans. We’re staying in Pittsburgh all week since it’s been a long time since you’ve been home. Anything you need me to bring you from here?”

“Just you.”

Paulie’s snort at his cheesiness was audible through the phone.

“Love you.”

“Love you, too, Paulie.”

* * *

A few hours later, Paulie was finally pulling into his own driveway, half frustrated and half excited. He’d felt so upset when James had claimed to be in his living room, his heart breaking into pieces before he’d even let him explain the situation. When he’d sorted it all out, he’d been relieved, but also mostly just annoyed that he wasn’t where James was.

He grabbed his bags from the trunk and brought them to the door, fumbling to get the lock open for a moment. When the door swung open, he moved his bags into the hallway and shut the door behind him. He locked it and double checked it before he continued into the house.

“James?” He called, stepping into the living room.

Under the tree, James was spread out seductively. He was only wearing a Santa hat on his head and a red bow tied around his neck, along with a smirk on his face.

Paulie let his eyes drag down to the rest of his body, stopping on where he was slowly stroking himself.

“Merry Christmas, baby.”

“Very merry indeed.” Paul grinned and crossed the room, shedding his game-day suit as he went.

 


End file.
